So many founders and entrepreneurs seem to be teams and co-CEO’s these days. However, if you are like me you wonder how are they making it work or is this a combustible situation that is destined for an ugly breakup. While some say co-CEO’s can cause power struggles and conflicts in business strategy, others feel that the shared responsibility creates significant value and benefits, especially when the paired CEO’s have complementary skill-sets. If you're thinking of starting your own business or already knee deep in a work or partnership situation as co-CEO's, it might be helpful to get some advice from teams that are making it work. Having a partner can be a great boost in making a business work but if you combine forces with the wrong person, it can hinder your growth and create daily tribulations in the workplace.

Summer Fridays's co-CEO's, Lauren Gores Ireland and Marianna Hewitt, combined forces over two years ago and teamed up with industry experts to dream up their first product — a simple mask that would leave skin looking gorgeous whether you’re hopping off a plane or just running out the door. It sold-out in days on Sephora. With more formulas in the works, and still somewhat newbies at making it all work, Hewitt explained, "We both have so many things in common that drew us together, but we also have many differences that bring two similar but different perspectives to the brand. We had a common goal for what we wanted our company to be and has made being partners an amazing journey."

Gores Ireland elaborated explaining "We have a really similar vision for success, and ultimately wanted to create something that would build a strong sense of community. Summer Fridays was the perfect business for us. We’re both strong individually, and that makes us work well as a team. Our career backgrounds are similar (we both went to school for journalism and worked as news anchors/television hosts before starting our blogs). Marianna built an incredible space for herself in the beauty world, and I’ve long shared my wellness journey (especially since becoming a mother). We both felt there was a need for clean, quick, effective skincare." Since they are more in the startup phase with their initial product launches Gores Ireland explained, "Right now we’re both involved in every part of the business, because I think that’s important at the start. We are very hands-on with everything we do, and we have a close relationship with our community."

Snow Monkey Founders Rachel Geicke and Mariana FerreiraSnow Monkey

The co-founders of Snow Monkey, Rachel Geicke and Mariana Ferreira, who started their business, the vegan and paleo Superfood Ice Treat that is reinventing ice cream, as an "organic process", made the first batches out of necessity in their Boston University apartment. The backstory is they both have a sweet tooth, especially for ice cream. Sound familiar? But being athletes, it was always really frustrating for them to sacrifice nutritional values in order to indulge. They started scouring the grocery stores for a frozen treat that was both nutritious and delicious, but their search turned up empty. It was a necessity is the mother of invention moment. They started making their superfood “ice cream” out of fruits and seeds that allowed them to satisfy their sweet tooth while nailing their nutrition and training goals. When they whipped up the first batches of Snow Monkey they didn’t have the intention of growing it into a business, but as their batches improved they couldn’t stop eating it and neither could their friends. They had an a-ha moment. That’s when they both realized that they weren’t the only ones in an unhealthy relationship with ice cream, so set out on a mission to reinvent America’s favorite dessert by bringing our nutritious and delicious alternative to market.

Today Geicke and Ferreira, have stepped into the roles CEO and COO and echo the sentiments of Summer Friday's cofounders Gores Ireland and Hewitt that it is "imperative that business partners have the same values, passion and work ethic. We often have varying opinions, however, when it comes to business decisions this doesn’t create any problems for us because we will always agree on a course of action that best aligns with our values and brings us closer to achieving our mission." They do it by a divide and conquer strategy so that each founder plays to their individual strengths. Today Geicke's innate ability to engage and connect with others, having grown up in an entrepreneurial household and run a business in high school, has her handling sales, marketing, investor relations and business development. Ferreira, on the other hand, is detail oriented, passionate about agriculture, and has a serious knack for food science. She knows individual ingredients’ nutritional and flavor profiles like the back of her hand and grew up in an environment where natural food was at the forefront. Therefore, she handles all aspects of the supply chain from sourcing ingredients to manufacturing pints to distributor logistics. And she’s always constantly perfecting our recipes and testing out new flavors!

Sometimes it's not just two partners. ONEHOPE has six founding partners with a lofty vision to create exceptional wine products that inspire people to indulge while doing good 365 days of the year. Tiffany Wojtkiewicz, Cofounder and Chief Revenue Officer said they make it work as a team because they each have their strengths and focus on those areas. From the beginning, Wojtkiewicz started overseeing sales, the CEO focused on raising money, and the President on balancing the books. We are an incredibly supportive group, so we pull each other in when there are hurdles or things that need to be solved for across departments. The key is they "take the time to understand what the others do " knowing they "can’t each be fully in-the-know about all elements of the business, especially at their current size. Trust in each other is key, but a basic understanding of each person’s area goes a long way." On the big decisions, a few of the ONEHOPE team will come to an agreement together. Since they" all manage different parts of the business are able to bring all different angles and perspectives to the table to make a holistic decision. We bring in the specialists involved in those issues, where needed, to make sure they "have as much data as possible to make an informed decision."

The co-CEOs of Brilliant Earth.Brilliant Earth

If you've worked together for many years, the ins and outs are often more layered as the business has grown. One such brand that utilizes this co-CEO strategy effectively is Brilliant Earth – the leader in ethically sourced bridal and fine jewelry. Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, former Stanford classmates, who've worked together for over 10 years now, found a need in the diamond industry for ethically sourced gemstones that offer consumers a more conscious, responsibly-sourced option. To fill this gap, Beth and Eric co-founded Brilliant Earth in 2005 and have served as co-CEOs since its inception, leading the company to become the go-to source for consumers looking to purchase fine jewelry that is as beautiful as it is ethical.

Gerstein and Grossberg of Brilliant Earth shared their own personal in’s and out’s of how to create a long-term partnership when you’re both the boss. It's a great list of lessons learned to archive as you and your partner(s) navigate your long-term business trajectory of how to work together as well as echoes much of what the other founders have learned on the job.

Divide and Conquer: Be explicit about distinct coverage areas that each person owns, and be willing to defer to the other person on their area. This requires respect for each person’s domain expertise and confidence in their leadership. Having clear division of responsibility ensures quick decision-making and clarity of ownership across the organization.

Agree to Constructively Disagree: Agree on the fundamentals, but also know how to disagree productively. If co-CEOs share common values and have mutual respect for each other’s capabilities, that encourages healthy debates, leads to better outcomes and presents a unified front across the organization. Eric and Beth agree 80% of the time and are aligned on key fundamentals of the company’s values, culture and strategy. When they don’t see eye to eye on an issue, they have a healthy approach to resolving their differences; they state their disagreement, then defer to the other person, signaling trust in their partner. When a gut check is helpful, they seek other’s opinions, which both generates broader perspectives and demonstrates to their team the importance of constructive debates.

Be Equally Committed: It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to build and lead a company. Co-CEOs need to be on the same page in terms of how much time and energy they are willing to commit to the endeavor. This ensures that co-CEOs can rely on each other when needed and sets the tone and expectation for the rest of the team.

Check Egos at the Door: Co-CEOs must care more about the broader success of the company than being right or stealing the limelight. This creates trust in the decisions being made, promotes teamwork and contributes to a culture that is not political or driven by ulterior motives.

Finally, if you are contemplating entering a partnership, here's a quick checklist of making sure you're compatible for the long haul and a few don'ts.

Shared Vision: If you don't share the same vision from the start, it's not going to change later.

Trust: Don't underestimate this component to a good partnership. Ireland Gores summed it up. "Ultimately, it’s about trust — a successful team is rooted in that. The best partnerships, of any kind, are built on respect and a willingness to be flexible. Marianna and I always say launching a business together is like a marriage of its own kind! We’re also big dreamers — which I think is important — because we can envision the big picture and really work for it."

Play To Your Strengths. Summer Friday's Hewitt said it best. "Allow your partner to do what he or she is good at. If one of us feels strongly about something in an area we know well, we don’t waste time going back and forth. We simply make the decision and move forward — it all goes back to trust. Also, we have a strong willingness to evolve. New businesses change quickly and it requires both partners to be flexible. I think our openness to adapt is our greatest asset."

Listen To Each Other And Be Flexible When Needed: Hewitt detailed "we’re both very open to being fluid and changing as things in business change so rapidly. Its important to have a partner who understands how you work best." Gores Ireland added "Go with your gut — if something doesn’t feel right, speak up! Never let your ego get in the way of making the right decision."

Choose Wisely: Another gem from Hewitt. "It's a big decision to start and build a business with a partner. Take time before deciding to partner with someone. You’re getting into a marriage essentially with someone, so take your time, make sure you trust the person and that you like spending a lot of time with them. Trust that the two of you are on the same page for where you want the business to go and that you both will make the right decisions for the brand."

Pitfalls: Almost every founder said the most important caveat is taking your time selecting the right partner. It was the same across the board from Hewitt reiterating "be certain before deciding to partner with anyone, there is no rush!" to ONE Hope's Wojtkiewicz advising of the importance of "the right support system within your group of founders, that are passionate about the mission of the business. It's what helps get you through those time. Make sure you’re surrounding yourself with co-founders that will stick with you."

Fashion brand Attico co-CEO's and designers summed it all up about the importance of the right partner. "We met a long time ago, maybe 6 years ago, through friends in common. We bonded from the very beginning but our friendship has got closer since we started our business. We had the chance to know each other better under different aspects and understand our personalities. We respect each other a lot and try to listen the other person when we disagree on things. We end up always finding a compromise. Running your own business/brand is a huge responsibility. You have to curate every side of it carefully. All the aspects are all equally important, they all determine the success and longevity of it." So do the litmus test before you get started or sit down with your partner and review your vision periodically to make sure you're on track. Sometimes, a business partnership is the perfect marriage to take you great places in life but sometimes it's better if you are the captain of your own ship. Drop anchor carefully.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @BnBStyle @njfalk and www.TheBlondeandTheBrunette.com

I’m a Webby award-winning creative and serial venturepreneur focused on emerging luxury, fashion, entertainment and direct-to-consumer brands and the Managing Partner of Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) as well as a member of the Vogue 125, a brand ambassador for Net-A-Porter...